Pennsylvania officially becomes 4th state to legalize online gambling.
Earlier today, AP Reporter Marc Levy twitted that Governor Wolf has signed H 271 bill. A bill which legalizes online gambling within the borders of Pennsylvania.
Wanna try your luck? Head on to a slot machine!
Casino games are heavily dependent on odds based on math. Some, in the case of blackjack and poker, involves skill and strategy too.
Slot machines, however, gear more towards the odds. And in order to play well, slot machine strategy involves understanding these odds in the hopes of increasing your chances of winning.
Here’s all you need to know:
Casino slot machines have composed a whopping 70% of casino revenue in recent years. That’s because it’s so easy to play!
Newcomers either be in land-based or online casinos, would find table games with dealers and opponents intimidating. Slot machines are less stressful and more personal.
All you have to do is drop your coins into the machines’ slots, then push a button or pull a handle.
Those colorful and entertaining visual effects as the reel keeps spinning can surely keep one excited—all in the hopes of bringing home some real money with a winning combination.
To have a good head in the game, understanding how the machine works is vital.
Off the bat, your odds of winning in one spin is entirely independent from one another.
If you’ve had a winning streak, there is no assurance the next one will be as promising. Most slot machine players fail to realize this and end up ruining their bankroll.
Slot machine games, much like with video poker, determine winners through a computer program called the random number generator (RNG).
A random number represents a certain combination that you can land on per spin.
Do keep in mind these machines have a very high house edge. The casino will take advantage when you play long enough.
That said, it’s not really a case of picking specific machines, but to make sure you have control over your desire to win a slot machine jackpot.
To manage and increase your chances of winning in slots, you must consider these factors: knowing your slot machine odds, size of cash prizes, deposit required (with no deposit bonuses) or cost to play, your playing time, and the thrill of slot games.
You could put a lot at stake.
We only wish you to have a pleasant gambling experience. So fret not! We’ve come up with this list of slot machine strategies you can take advantage of:
As in any game, the first and perhaps the most crucial strategy is to familiarize yourself with how the slot machine game works and its goals.
Most casino slots are penny, nickel, quarter, and dollar denominations up to $100 reel spinners. Slide your coins and bills into the slot, and your credits will soon appear on the slot machine screen.
Keep pushing the button marking “play one credit” until you reach your desired money bet.
The next thing you need to do is to hit the “spin reels” button or pull the handle if the slot requires you too.
You’re also given the choice to hit the “play max credits” button to play with the maximum coins for that given slot machine.
This gives you the necessary benefits for a bigger wager. We’ll be talking more about this later on in this article.
Video slots have a button for the number of pay lines along with another button for the number of credits to be wagered per line.
Most reel-spinning slot machines have one, three, and five pay lines. Your winnings depend on the combination of symbols that fall on a pay line.
Check out the pay table to know how much you could win for specific symbols and combinations. Common symbols include cherries, bars, double bard, triple bars, and sevens.
The necessary credits will be added or deducted to your credit meter. At this point, you have the option to keep playing the slots or cash out.
You’ve probably noticed some players inserting money into two or more slots opposite each other at one time.
This is discouraged, especially when the casino is crowded. Even so, when it is not crowded, it is best to play what you can watch over easily.
This could tip off other slot machine players.
Class III slot machines are what you see in Las Vegas casinos. They are state-regulated too. These slots are regularly tested to ensure the RNG is indeed working correctly.
Class II slot machines have recently been produced for states that had laws against slots.
They’ve somehow worked their way around the law to conduct illegal business. They look exactly like the legit ones but internally are very different. Be wary.
Regardless if the casino is on land or on the internet, it is essential you prioritize security as money is hot. An outside unbiased party should certify every casino’s legitimacy.
Most online casinos and land-based casino operators do not explicitly provide this information.
However, many websites dedicate themselves to delivering payout percentages of different slots online and offline for the benefit of all. It wouldn’t hurt to take a look at them.
A payout percentage is the money return to the player, considering the amount of money put into the slot machine. It can run from 80% to 98%.
So if you find that a certain online casino has a 90% payout percentage for its slots, it means it pays out 90% of the money it takes in. The casinos take revenue from the 10%. This is their house edge.
Then again, these are very hard to determine and are based on millions of spins. Knowing this information will not guarantee a win.
The basic slot strategy is to go for higher payback percentage slots to increase your overall odds.
This information is nonetheless essential in choosing which slots machines to play. Again, it still does not guarantee you full pockets.
They say the larger the prize amounts, the harder it is to hit, and the lesser often the casinos pay. This is commonly referred to as “slots variance.” If you’re new or relatively conservative, this is the strategy for you.
Another low-risk slot machine strategy is to play denomination slots, depending on an amount you are comfortable with. No one wants their bankroll to evaporate in an instant!
For starters, penny slots or $1 money slots could be of interest. You’re probably not gonna get rich, but you aren’t going broke either.
Larger denomination slots, of course, would have more game features, including free spins and bonuses.
It would have a larger prize too. But it also means you’re taking the risks of possibly losing plenty of money in an instant. The key here is knowing your comfort zone.
In choosing which slot machines to play, winning is a common top priority.
Enjoyment and entertainment value are as meaningful too. Remember that luck contributes largely to slots success.
So don’t be too hard on yourself. Online casinos that offer playing slots with free spins, bonus offers, and fun videos could be as fulfilling.
Loose machines are the ones located in highly visible areas to make sure they attract attention for people to spend more money on them.
These types of slots pay out more frequently and often even offer free spins and bonus games to entice you more.
Slots give players an option to choose their wagering requirements and denominations per spin.
Most machines pay progressive jackpots only when maximum credits are bet. They often provide access to more bonuses and free spins for your larger wager too.
A sample would be a slot game with twenty paylines that only give one the chance to win its maximum progressive jackpots if you wager one credit on all twenty lines.
If your reels land on a gold symbol or a winner combination, you’ll be off the moon! But if you only bet on one payline, you’ll be left with regret.
Do still note that these are still programmed by random number generators and give you no assurance. Make sure your bankroll is ready and well managed, and your emotions under control.
It’s important to be mindful of your limits for both wins and losses.
These games can get so tempting that it’s easy to lose track of time and money spent. Make sure to quit playing the slots immediately once you’ve reached your predetermined limits.
A tip for managing your bankroll is by first determining how much money you can afford to lose. Divide that with the number of hours you wish to play games of slots.
An example would be a personal budget of $2000 and wanting to play over the course of 10 hours. You would know you need to take a break with the slot machines once you’ve lost at most $200 at any given hour.
It’s more personal when it comes to a win limit.
Let’s say you play money at the slots with a budget of $1000. Winning a double of that amount could break you a sweat.
At that point, you’d probably continue to play slots. But if you’re more conservative, walking away from the slot machines would be a great idea.
What anyone wants is just to avoid a budget mayhem. A responsible gambler can make all the difference in slots success.
In correlation with bankroll management, you should also limit the time you spend on a casino game. The best practice is to take at least a thirty-minute break every 2 hours of a gambling session.
Take yourself away from the casino environment. Go splurge on a nice meal at the casino hotel’s restaurants, or have a drink to cool off.
This is important because long hours of gambling lead to fatigue. You will end up making rash decisions. You might lose your sense of logic and let emotions get in the way.
A day with the slots should be enjoyable. Any moment you feel agitated, take a breather.
Casinos have realized how valuable slot players are to their profit. Thus they will do anything in their power to keep you coming for more.
Whatever the casinos are offering, may it be a slots club, players’ club, loyalty and reward club, sign up! They are usually provided for free and give you a lot of perks and rewards.
A slot club membership will allow a casino operator to track your casino games. Most clubs offer loyal casino players money in exchange for their points. If you’re playing the slot machine on a regular, this could really be to your advantage.
You can even use the casino slot club card to redeem free meals and drinks while you’re playing.
Some casinos are more generous with hotel discounts, restaurant and bar coupons, and early access to casino club events and promotions.
The bottom line is its good business for the casino industry. You might as well pay it back to the ones that brought them there.
But do take into consideration that this can only be a win-win situation if you play within your means. It would be counterproductive if you lose your bankroll just to earn the rewards.
Getting to know slot machines and how they work is a good strategy to start with. This strategy should also include what information to believe in.
There have been many myths for both offline and online slots. They revolve mostly on one’s best odds of winning.
We invite you to look into these online slots myths as they could help you make wise decisions when wagering real money, and as to when and when not to keep playing slot machines:
“Slot machines have hot and cold streaks.”
Yes, this is true. If you’re fortunate, the best odds are you can land yourself a winning streak at the casino slots on your first few games. On worse days, you could go home with an empty pocket.
However, what makes this statement a myth is that many believe they are programmed to do so. People who have played quite many games experience numerous streaks of both wins and losses.
These help them tend to believe they are real.
As earlier mentioned, everything happens by pure chance and not because the casino games are programmed to do so.
The slot machine functions on a random number generator program and keeps no record of previous events. Unless, of course, it is rigged by the casino then that would be another story.
“When slot machines haven’t paid out in a while, it’s just about to do so.”
Similar to the previous myth, chances of a payout are the same as landing on winning combinations in every spin. Yes, they will payout eventually. But as to when, we can really never tell.
“If a slot has paid a jackpot, it won’t do the same soon.”
Another slots myth based on the concept of randomness. There is always a possibility you can hit the jackpot in every spin.
Many casino enthusiasts have come up with a slots theory. They say casinos will start giving after a long losing streak, and hold onto winnings when it has paid quite a lot.
Remember, casinos have the responsibility to equitably payout according to their payback percentages too.
“Playing at a specific time of the day matters.”
Some slot players believe online slot machines have better chances of winning at specific times of the day on particular days of the week. This is just non-sense. Your chances of winning are the same 24/7.
“Counting symbols increases your odds.”
With regards to card games in casinos, you can increase your chances of winning by counting cards since there is a finite sample, which is the 52 cards on a deck. However, this is not applicable in slots.
There are way too many combinations of numbers and symbols in slots that a mere human could possibly count in a lifetime!
Progressive slots offer larger jackpots as the game is continuously played. The casino takes a small percentage of every bet to add to the growing pot.
There are also many types of progressive games. Some are per machine, and bigger ones are a network of machines across multiple casinos.
Original slot machines were once very mechanical with springs and gears spinning the reels.
Nowadays, video reels are more convenient and have dominated the entire casino floor. They feature animated spinning reels on a computer monitor. They are very entertaining and add to the fun of the game.
These are bonus rounds that occur when certain symbols appear on the reels. During these bonus rounds, you get the chance to win additional prizes.
In some instances, they offer a number of free spins. Others allow you to choose a symbol with a specific prize behind them.
Many people often put these two in the same basket. Experts would know they are two completely different games.
The only similarity they have is perhaps their console’s appearance.
In video poker games, poker hands are made to win. Your odds can be calculated, and the house edge may be known.
You also have some form of skill and decision making to increase your odds of winning in video poker.
In slot machines, no skill is required. It is a game of pure chance. You have no contribution to the decision whether you win or lose. You also have no way of knowing the house edge of the game.
We cannot emphasize enough that slot machines are programmed randomly. There is no way of telling when it will hit a specific combination of symbols. You just really have to pray for lots of luck!
Putting into practice all the strategies we’ve mentioned above will one way or another increase your odds of winning at slot machines. However, there is no guarantee at all.
These strategies, more importantly, are placed there for you to better manage and enjoy the game without developing a bad gambling habit.
The legality of online slot machines will highly depend on where you reside. Individual states in the United States have their own set of laws and limitations.
Most also have regulated online casinos like the ones in Nevada and New Jersey. It’s best you play the ones on their accredited list.
Some countries like the United Kingdom, for instance, allow you to play as much as you want for as long as these casinos are regulated and certified by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.
With the vast presence of slot machines in casinos, you can never say you’ve had the full gambling experience if you have not given the slots a try.
In essence, casino games rely a lot on luck. We have to face it, we all desire to feel the satisfaction of winning massive amounts of cash out of a sheer fortune.
But even so, it is best to be mindful of your limitations. Being able to control one’s emotions when playing slots is the true definition of a gambling success story.
The next time you step into a casino and put yourself in front of the slots, consider putting these strategies into action. For any questions, don’t hesitate to leave us a message below.
Pennsylvania officially becomes 4th state to legalize online gambling.
Earlier today, AP Reporter Marc Levy twitted that Governor Wolf has signed H 271 bill. A bill which legalizes online gambling within the borders of Pennsylvania.
Earlier this week, Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representative passed H 271 bill which is set to legalize online gambling within the state borders. We are keen to set things straight and figure out what is the future of online gambling in Pennsylvania.
Until Wednesday, Oct 25th online gambling was illegal in Pennsylvania. However, a bill that legalized online gambling and online poker was passed by Pennsylvania Senate on Wednesday and passed by Pennsylvania House on Thursday. Many consider this to bthe biggestst gambling expansion since the state legalized land based gambling a decade ago.
